Title 8, Aliens and NationalityRelease 119-102
§1302 Registration of Aliens
Title 8 › CHAPTER 12 — IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY › SUBCHAPTER II — IMMIGRATION › Part VII — Registration of Aliens › § 1302
Summary
Aliens who are 14 years old or older, who have not already been registered and fingerprinted, and who stay in the United States for 30 days or more must apply to register and be fingerprinted within those 30 days. A parent or legal guardian must apply to register any alien under 14 who meets the same conditions. If an alien turns 14 in the U.S., they must personally apply and be fingerprinted within 30 days after their birthday. The Attorney General can waive the fingerprinting rule for nonimmigrants based on reciprocity and under rules the Attorney General makes.
Full Legal Text
Title 8, §1302
Aliens and Nationality, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)It shall be the duty of every alien now or hereafter in the United States, who (1) is fourteen years of age or older, (2) has not been registered and fingerprinted under section 1201(b) of this title or section 30 or 31 of the Alien Registration Act, 1940, and (3) remains in the United States for thirty days or longer, to apply for registration and to be fingerprinted before the expiration of such thirty days.
(b)It shall be the duty of every parent or legal guardian of any alien now or hereafter in the United States, who (1) is less than fourteen years of age, (2) has not been registered under section 1201(b) of this title or section 30 or 31 of the Alien Registration Act, 1940, and (3) remains in the United States for thirty days or longer, to apply for the registration of such alien before the expiration of such thirty days. Whenever any alien attains his fourteenth birthday in the United States he shall, within thirty days thereafter, apply in person for registration and to be fingerprinted.
(c)The Attorney General may, in his discretion and on the basis of reciprocity pursuant to such regulations as he may prescribe, waive the requirement of fingerprinting specified in subsections (a) and (b) in the case of any nonimmigrant.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Alien Registration Act, 1940, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b), is act
June 28, 1940, ch. 439, 54 Stat. 670. section 30 and 31 of that act were classified to section 451 and 452 of this title and were repealed by section 403(a)(39) of act
June 27, 1952.
Amendments
1994—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–416 substituted “subsections (a) and (b)” for “subsection (a) and (b)”. 1988—Pub. L. 100–525 amended Pub. L. 99–653. See 1986 Amendment note below. 1986—Pub. L. 99–653, § 9, as amended by Pub. L. 100–525, added subsec. (c). As originally enacted, Pub. L. 99–653, § 9, amended subsec. (a) of this section by striking out “section 1201(b) of this title or” after “registered and fingerprinted under”. Pub. L. 100–525 revised Pub. L. 99–653, § 9, so as to add subsec. (c) and eliminate the original amendment of subsec. (a), thereby restoring the words “section 1201(b) of this title or”. See
Effective Date
of 1988 Amendment note below.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1994 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 103–416 effective as if included in the enactment of the Immigration Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101–649, see section 219(dd) of Pub. L. 103–416, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1988 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 100–525 effective as if included in the enactment of the Immigration and Nationality Act
Amendments
of 1986, Pub. L. 99–653, see section 309(b)(15) of Pub. L. 102–232, set out as an Effective and Termination Dates of 1988
Amendments
note under section 1101 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1986 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 99–653 applicable to applications for immigrant visas made, and visas issued, on or after Nov. 14, 1986, see section 23(b) of Pub. L. 99–653, set out as a note under section 1201 of this title.
Effective Date
Section effective 180 days after
June 27, 1952, see section 407 of act
June 27, 1952, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title. Abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service and
Transfer of Functions
For abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service,
Transfer of Functions
, and treatment of related references, see note set out under section 1551 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
8 U.S.C. § 1302
Title 8, Aliens and Nationality
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102